Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz both have a history of challenging major healthcare corporations, but health policy experts say it's unclear how vigorously they'd continue these efforts at the national level if elected, The Washington Post reported Aug. 16.
The Democratic candidate has yet to share a formal plan on healthcare consolidation, though she did share part of her economic agenda during an Aug. 16 speech in Raleigh, N.C. The plan includes efforts to cancel medical debt for millions and cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs to $2,000 for all Americans.
While serving as California's attorney general, Ms. Harris strongly opposed healthcare consolidation and prosecuted numerous industry players for alleged fraud or antitrust violations, according to The New York Times. She was among the first state attorneys general to oppose Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System's acquisition of Saltzer Medical Group and joined a federal suit blocking Anthem and Cigna's merger in 2017.
"If you're a health-care conglomerate that's using its market power to raise prices, then I would be concerned," Richard Scheffler, PhD, a health economist at the University of California at Berkeley, told the Post.
Mr. Walz has also taken on the pharmaceutical industry, signing legislation in 2020 to cap out-of-pocket spending on insulin in Minnesota. Despite calling out Rochester-based Mayo Clinic for acquiring and closing several small hospitals in 2017, he conceded to the health system in a legislative battle over nurse-to-patient staffing ratios last year.
"These big healthcare companies are big employers and economic engines in states, so it’s always risky for politicians to take them on," Larry Levitt, executive vice president of health policy at the nonprofit think tank KFF, told the Post. "And honestly, they don't always win. … Walz took on Mayo and blinked to some extent."
More recently, UnitedHealth sued Mr. Walz's administration on Aug. 2 over legislation blocking the insurer from participating in the state's Medicaid managed care program.
The White House has aggressively addressed corporate power in healthcare under President Joe Biden's leadership. Some policy experts predict the Harris-Walz ticket would go even further if elected, as they have more depth of experience, according to the Post. However, others say their commitment to this agenda may waver under pressure from major Democratic donors and industry officials, who have criticized the crackdowns.
“The healthcare corporations now are mega-regional players. They have huge clout. It would really take much more than a single politician," Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, told the Post. "It's going to take a broader movement in the country. … Maybe we'll get there as there is a lot of pain."
Former President Donald Trump's campaign did not respond to the publication's request for comment on his healthcare consolidation strategy.
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